Obituary of Ruth Evelyn Beem

Ruth Evelyn (Dunlap) Beem, the daughter of John "Bert" and Minnie (Ellis) Dunlap, was born January 3, 1915. She graduated from the Farrar High School in 1932. On April 16, 1935, Ruth was united in marriage with Joseph Beem. They moved to Mingo, IA in 1945 and she continued to live there until moving to Mitchellville in 2006. Ruth worked in her home and helped Joe with his business by answering the phone and helping with the bookkeeping. She spent many hours in her flower beds and vegetable garden. Ruth and Joe traveled to Minnesota on fishing trips many summers with their children and later with their grandchildren. Ruth was a member of Farrar Methodist Church. She enjoyed working on crossword puzzles, but most of all, she loved the time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ruth and Joe were snowbirds for many years, traveling to Apache Junction, AZ for the cold winter months. Ruth will be remembered for her quick wit and beautiful smile. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and a wonderful friend to all who knew her. Ruth passed to a greater place on October 10, 2010 at the age of 95 years, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease at the Mitchell Village Care Center in Mitchellville, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joe, on December 21, 2002; an infant son at birth; and one sister. Those left to honor Ruth's memory include her daughter, Judy (Vernon) Sanders of Mingo; IA; her son John (Louise) Beem of Bena, MN; her 5 grandchildren; her 2 step-grandchildren; her 11 great-grandchildren; and her 4 step-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be Wednesday, October 13th at 10:30 at the Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home in Newton. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and may be left at the funeral home.